Collaborative Research on Distributed Control and Communication Design for Networked Dynamic Systems

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This is a collaborative research project between UC Berkeley and Stanford University to develop a validated analytical methodology for designing control systems where some of the feedback loops are closed over wireless communication links. The proposed work is an interdisciplinary effort between two very disparate research areas: wireless communications and control theory. This work will have a great impact on many fields where wireless communication is beginning to see an increasing presence such as transportation, manufacturing and remote sensing applications.Most current controller designs assume that communication between the sensors and actuators and the central logic system is done over hard-wired lines providing essentially perfect transmission. Thus, the controller design typically assumes no rate constraints, delay, or loss of information. However, there are many applications where this communication must take place over imperfect wireless links where these imperfections can lead to loss of performance and even instability. There currently exists no unified theory for the design of closed loop control systems using wireless links. This proposal is aimed at developing such a theory.The first stage of the proposed work will focus on characterizing the communications network carrying the sensor, actuator, and control information in terms of its rate constraints, and delay and packet loss statistics. The next stage will investigate joint optimization of the controller and communication system.The research results will be presented at both communications and controls conferences. The final results will be incorporated into advanced graduate courses. A very important aspect of this project is the involvement of undergraduate students in the research. Both UC Berkeley and Stanford have active UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programs). The area of communication/control is very attractive to undergraduates and it is anticipated that undergraduates will participate in the project due to its interdisciplinary nature and its potential to impact real world problems.